Difference Between Communism and Democracy

Communism and democracy are two different ideologies that have rendered great impact in the world. Communism can be termed as a socio economic structure that stands for the establishment of a classless, egalitarian and stateless society. Democracy is a political system of governance either carried out by the people directly or by elected representatives.

Communism is a political ideology that is based on a common ownership, mainly concerned with equality and fairness. In communism, the power is vested in a group of people who decide the course of action. It is this group of people who decide on the activities of the public. These groups of people may interfere in the public life of others. On the other hand, democracy, which also stands for equality in the society, is governed by a group of elected people. Democracy is a rule by the people and the elected representatives are bound to fulfil the wishes of the society.

A big difference seen between democracy and communism is in the term of economic systems. In communism, the government has complete control over the production and distribution of goods and all the resources and it is shared in the society equally. But in democracy, this aspect is not there.

In communism, it is the community or the society that holds the major resources and production. This helps in preventing any single person or a group of people from raising to a higher position than others or becoming rich. But in democracy, free enterprising is allowed, which means that people or groups can have their own businesses. This can lead to rich and poor in society.

Coming to democracy, there are no specific principles that define it. But democracy is based on the principle of equality and freedom. It is also based on the principle that all citizens have equal rights. Another principle that defines democracy is that the citizens have certain liberties and freedoms, which are protected by the constitution.

In communism private ownership is not allowed whereas in democracy it is allowed.

Summary
1.Communism is a socio economic system that stands for the establishment of a classless, egalitarian and stateless society. Democracy is a political system of governance either carried out by the people directly or by elected representatives.
2.In communism, the power is vested in a group of people who decide the course of action. Democracy is a rule by the people and the elected representatives are bound to fulfil the wishes of the society.
3.In communism private ownership is not allowed whereas in democracy it is allowed.

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According to the dictionary: Communism is: advocacy of a classless society in which private ownership has been abolished and the means of production and subsistence belong to the community. So this article did a pretty good job at defining it and comparing it to Democracy. I just kind of think that there would be some bigger differences.

In a democracy too “power is vested on a group of people who decide the course of Action (sic)” i. e. a government/an administration. Only this is limited in time to election periods so voters can decide to have a new “group” every few years.

Who decides….. it’s the elite, who have the wealth, can vacation in posh surroundings, great food, best of clothes. The elite!
However, in our country, there are the elitists who are the controllers. Well, it may very well be that these elitists who may espouse “democracy”, capitolism… free enterprise… may be wearing masks who speak in support of a democracy, but, in reality, are dictators

I disgust communist-ism as it is totally against individual freedom. I believe in election power of the people. A group of people can not interfere in one`s personal affairs. I believe in tremendous liberty not doing any harm to others. I love democracy…..

What is individual freedom? And, what is the difference between the truth and the truth that sets you free, like the proverbial and the truth will set you free but not necessarily any or even Your truth? And, who be the wicked and who the unrighteous? I like this conversatiin you guys vs gals got going vs get going.? Please, amuse me or accuse me. @answeranyone. Lest, i the simple Simon? Thank You, Your Cleverness’.

This article needs major revisions. “Communism” essentially means a classless society with common ownership of the means of production. While terms like “the dictatorship of the proletariat” are associated with classical Marxism, that term refers to a situation existing BETWEEN capitalism and communism. Communism per se (as the above article incorrectly states) does not require “a group of people” to “decide on the activities of the public”. Indeed, the ideal communistic society would not only be classless, but the state itself is presumed to “wither away”. The condition of a stateless society is also the ideal of anarchism (the absence of political authority). Nineteenth century theorists such as Peter Kropotkin sought to prove that a tendency toward mutual aid, rather than selfish competition, was the natural human norm (his book “Mutual Aid” deals with this). There have been many forms of communistic societies – and many “primitive” societies are by nature communistic in terms of property, although they may have hierarchical power structures. Communism thus takes many forms. Christian communism is mentioned in the Bible (Acts 2 and 4), and religious communism is found among many belief systems. The Hutterites are modern day religious communists, living in “colonies” in the western United States and Canada with all property owned by the colony. Nor is communism per se anti-democratic. Indeed, in the sense that the people own the means of production it may be far more democratic than capitalism, which tends toward a condition of monopoly and concentration of real power by fewer and fewer people. Communistic societies can be run by democratic workers councils which are democratically elected. Capitalism on the other hand can be very anti-democratic, in that a few people may have control over the means of production, with the rest of society being under their employment (“wage slaves”) and often under their direct or indirect control. The presence of democratic institutions and forms of government in a capitalism society may or may not imply a limited degree of democratic input, since political life in the form of mass media, educational system and political parties is often controlled by the capitalist minority which owns the means of production. “Ruling class, ruling ideas” encapsulates that notion. Soviet “communism” as it developed under Stalin et al. was actually more like “state capitalism”, yet unfortunately many people equate “communism” with this undeveloped and perverted form. Even the Soviets would have admitted their society was not “communistic” in any final sense.

This is a stupid article. Communism and Democracy are not comparable. As the author correctly points out, Communism is a political ideology that defines a social and economic system, while Democracy is rule by the people, for the people. A state (or nation, community, village, etc) can have both, neither, or one or the other. The writer implies they are mutually exclusive, one or the other. He is wrong. The alternate social and economic system to Communism would be Capitalism, while the alternate to Democracy is Dictatorship.
Unfortunately many tend to link Communism with Dictatorship, and Capitalism with Democracy, but it needn’t be so. Democratic Communism is possible, though rare (eg Kerala in India flirts with it), while Dictatorships tend to be a bastardisation of Capitalism (eg semi-free markets, but wealth & power controlled by the favoured).
Most of the developed (& Democratic) world sits between Communism and Capitalism, utilising free markets with regulation, private ownership, but state provided (in varying degrees) welfare (unemployment, disabled, elderly), health, education, transport (public roads, trains, buses), policing, parks and recreation, etc.

Point 3 is false. Democracy would not necessarily allow private property. If, for example, you had a democracy where the decisions of the majority were actually respected, it’s likely that the majority of workers, if given to understand the significance of private property –
not as the idea of them owning their personal belongings or their home but as the foundation of their exploitation and the power of the rich – that these people would vote democratically to take collective, democratic, social ownership of the private property which they themselves as a class had produced. In that case, democracy would not sanction but abolish private property.

Cool this goes in depth into the differences, though it is a little weird to compare them. I believe that democracy is the best, as it allows individual freedom to select leaders. That is something I actually couldn’t really imagine living without.

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Written by : Prabhat S.
and updated on February 28, 2014

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